[Passan] Right-hander Cody Ponce and the Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a three-year, $30 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. The AL champs get the KBO MVP, who went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA and struck out 252 in 180.2 innings.

34 comments

1. Hey good for that guy. Rehabbed his career in Korea and got a fat bag.

2. Toronto making moves

3. Probably the end for Bassitt/Scherzer barring a trade

4. What an awesome deal for the Blue Jays. At best, you get a dude who broke records in Korea on the back of some underlying changes to his stuff and velocity.

   At worst, you get an arm that gives you innings for what is a bargain in today’s market. Gonna be a really fun experiment to see if Ponce can keep some of that form that was utterly dominant in Korea, or if that was just well, because of the difference between the majors and the KBO. Either way, really fun deal for the Jays.

5. If this is anything like Erick Fedde when he signed after winning KBO mvp with a 2.00 ERA in 180.1 innings and 209 strikeouts, Jays have themselves a solid starter for 2026, and after that…. idk.

6. Holy shit this dude was a menace in KBO

7. As someone who doesn’t watch the kbo is this a good move for the Jays or a bad move for the Jays

8. this is a good move.

9. Either hes like Eric fedde or he’s like Kyle hart.

   Completely different ends of the spectrum.

10. I had a feeling we’d get more jays news after cease finalized today. 🫩

    

11. I can’t tell if the Jays are insane or are just really confident in their scouting

12. Damn I would’ve loved the Giants to get this guy, considering their supposed unwillingness to get Imai. And 30/3 is a totally reasonable deal too. Good for him.

    We’re gonna end up overpaying for a German Marquez or an Andrew Heaney, aren’t we?

13. Cal Poly Pomona legend Cody Ponce

14. They want it next year.  

15. Is it Ponce like a British insult or like Pon-Chay? Pon-See?

16. Good for Ponce rehabbing his career in Korea. I really like the aggression by the Jays. Love seeing teams spend and go for it

17. Get ready to learn English, buddy.

18. > Cody *Ponce*

    👀

19. Can any experts explain if there were changes Ponce made to lead to his big year?

20. It looks like Atkins doesn’t care about the pick position and Ed is telling him to spend it all lmao

21. Fuck it, sign everybody I guess. Just so other teams can’t have them.

22. International draft now

    /s

23. Can’t say I’ve heard of this guy before but those numbers look incredible.

24. They really need to get Bichette back now

25. 

    cuz there are zero Ponce (DeLeon) gifs 🤷

26. KBO MVP? Can anyone who watched him tell me what we’re working with? Because he sounds like a really good pickup if he can remain as a good pitcher for us.

27. 1.89 in the very hitter friendly KBO? Holy shit.

28. Manoah to the angels. Hopefully the man can comeback.

29. Either the Jays are gonna be like KC in 2014-15, where they came so close the first year and then just steamrolled through the next postseason, or like Cleveland in 2016-17, where they came so close the first year and then just lost to the Yankees the next postseason.

30. Is there a reason why free agency is moving differently this year compared to the last two when basically everyone was waiting on Ohtani and Soto before signing? Does Tucker just not have the same overwhelming demand?

31. Fun Fact: He is married to George Kittle’s sister

32. Great move. Maybe the best former MLB pitcher in Asian baseball to come back to MLB this year. I think I might like him more than Griffin and Duplantier and the rest. 

    How were more teams not in on this, especially pitching starved ones? I know it’s KBO so the opposition is weaker, but you’re not paying him ace money, he’s not expected to be an ace. 

    3/30 for this type of solid pitching with upside seems like a no brainer. 

33. Blue Jays love rehabbing overseas pitchers. Shoutout Eric Lauer

34. When Ponce looked in that mirror and saw he hadn’t changed, and that tear started to roll down his cheek… I lost it